Russian Officials Provide More Details on New Dyatlov Pass Investigation

Feb 5, 2019

Following the bombshell announcement that Russian authorities plan to conduct a new investigation into the infamous Dyatlov Pass incident, additional details about the inquiry have since emerged. This past Friday marked the 60th anniversary of the still-unsolved event in which nine hikers died under unusual circumstances in the Ural Mountains. Given that the case is now six decades old and seemingly little more than a curious historical footnote today, researchers were stunned last week when the macabre milestone was marked by news that prosecutors will be taking a fresh look at the puzzling episode.

However, those hoping that the probe might wind up uncovering some kind of conspiracy surrounding the event may find themselves dismayed by comments made by a Russian official at a press conference on Monday. Andrei Kuryakov, who heads the office tasked with reinvestigating the Dyatlov Pass incident, told reporters that "it is absolutely out of question" that the event was "engineered by the authorities." Whether or not that includes the possibility that the hikers fell victim to a clandestine Soviet weapons test is uncertain at this time.